Woman, child carjacked by armed men

A woman and young child were carjacked in Manurewa by two
armed men who had just robbed a sports bar and forced the woman
to drive them away from the crime scene.

Police said two men entered the Sports Bar on Great South
Road near the Southmall shopping complex on Monday morning .

One of the men stood at the entrance holding a weapon and
stopped patrons from leaving. The second offender went behind
the bar area and stole the till.

Both offenders ran from the Sports Bar through Southmall and
across the overbridge of the Manurewa Train Station.

"After they fled the shopping complex, the two offenders
forced a member of the public to stop her car," said
Detective Senior Sergeant Ross Ellwood.

"There was a young child in the front seat and the two
offenders got in the back. They then forced the driver to
drive them to the intersection of Wordsworth Road and
Weymouth Road, Manurewa."

The men then got out and were last seen running across
Weymouth Road towards Friedlanders Road, Manurewa.

"This is a particularly frightening experience for a member
of the public who was inadvertently caught up in this crime,"
said Mr Ellwood.

"While the victim was very shaken by the experience,
thankfully she was otherwise unharmed."

One of the men was wearing a black hoodie with the words
"West is Best" in white writing.

Police were appealing for information about the people
involved in the aggravated robbery or to anyone who saw the
two offenders running through Southmall, the Manurewa Train
Station area, or near the intersection of Weymouth Road and
Friedlanders Road, Manurewa.

"We ask that anyone who knows these people or who might have
seen a discarded till to please contact Police as soon as
possible," says Detective Senior Sergeant Ellwood.